PHILADELPHIA — Brandon Graham smirked at the word’s mere mention, then let out a quick laugh before dismissing the idea.

It’s safe to say that the Eagles defensive end has heard the talk about him being a bust, especially relative to where he was chosen in the draft. It’s also safe to say that it doesn’t have the same effect as it used to on the University of Michigan product.

“It used to bother me, but now, I don’t worry about it too much,” Graham said. “I feel like everybody knows that, hopefully, I’m far from that because of what you see. It’s only going to get better.”

Yet it’s been nearly impossible for some people to avoid using that bust label on Graham, who recorded three sacks as a rookie before missing most of last season after he underwent microfracture surgery. After all, the player picked before him in the 2010 draft, San Diego running back Ryan Mathews, has a Pro Bowl selection to his name. So does the player picked right after him, Seattle safety Earl Thomas. And, of course, New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who’s rapidly making a case as the best defensive end in the league, was snatched up by the Giants two picks later.

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Yet if Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo is to be believed, there are going to be plenty of reasons to keep an eye on Graham this year.

“Brandon’s on a mission,” Castillo said. “You can ask him and he’ll tell you the same thing. He’s on a mission. We expect some good things from Brandon, but he’s in a dogfight, just like all of them.”

So what does that mission entail, exactly?

“He just knows my focus. Take it one day at a time, and every day, just trying to get better. That’s what I’ve been doing up to this point,” Graham said. “My goal was not to miss a day in camp, and I accomplished it. Right now, I’m still on a mission because the season’s not here yet. The mission is just to get back on my game because I was hurt. I’m just going out there and trying to prove to them that they didn’t waste a pick.”

Graham looked much improved, albeit against a beleaguered offensive line, in the Eagles’ 24-23 win over Pittsburgh in the preseason. He picked up a sack and consistently brought pressure from his left end spot. He also expects to potentially see some reps from a defensive tackle spot on passing downs, something he did as a rookie and something he thinks he can do well this year.

“You can get caught in a run on a third down sometimes. You’ve just got to be able to hold the gap and be able to take on double teams, which I feel I’d be able to do. Other than that, it’s no different. You just have to get a quicker move than you would do outside,” Graham said.

The ability to watch Pro Bowl defensive ends Trent Cole and Jason Babin has been a blessing for Graham, who was picked No. 13 overall in that 2010 draft. He’s been able to take things in from a spectator’s point of view, and it’s those types of observations that have helped develop his game to a point where he hopes he can be counted upon to do the things Cole and Babin do.

“They just teach me how to be a professional. How to work. That’s the best thing I can say is how to work. I thought I knew how to work until I (saw) those guys. I was like, ‘dang, I need to step it up.’ ,” Graham said. “Everything now has kind of settled down. It’s not as fast as it was to me in the beginning. I feel like I’m back in my college days ready to go out there and put in extra work. I get confident. I can think about helping my game in different ways than I was when I got here.

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Rookie defensive tackle Fletcher Cox might be able to take a cue from Graham on the expectations of being a high first-round pick on the defensive line. Cox, this year’s No. 12 selection who became the highest-selected player from Mississippi State since former Eagles running back Michael Haddix went No. 8 in 1983, had high expectations bestowed upon him as he takes his place on a position group with as much uncertainty as any other on the team. Despite spending more and more time getting acclimated to the pro game, Cox admits he’s not more comfortable with the defense…but that’s a good thing.

“I wouldn’t say I’m getting comfortable,” Cox said. “I’m never comfortable. That’s one thing I don’t want to do, is get in that comfort zone where you get in to kind of neutral and kind of coasting if you’re comfortable. But if you’re attacking, then you’re never in that comfort zone.”

Cox was comfortable enough with his play during his junior year with the Bulldogs to make an early leap to the pros, but he indicated that despite playing the likes of Alabama and LSU in college, there’s still a sizeable jump to make to the pro level. That’s something that has maybe slowed the 6-4, 298-pounder’s progress as he gets ready for his first season as a pro.

“The biggest jump is how fast things go,” Cox said. “The SEC is fast, but in the NFL, it’s probably two or three steps faster. Maybe that first week my head was spinning, but after that, I kind of got on the same speed that (everybody else) was on. I just know I had to push myself to practice at that speed. I’ve got a few things that I can work on every day. You just take those things, you work on them and you get better at them.”